This invention relates to an apparatus for providing a menu according to a predetermined balanced and calorically limited diet, and in particular to such an apparatus which is simple to operate and which does not require a detailed understanding of the principles upon which the diet is based.
While the number of diets which have been developed is nearly unlimited, most of them are based on a common principle. First, every meal has a caloric level which depends on the sex, size, and desired weight loss of the dieter. Second, each meal has a selected number of foods from pre-selected food groups in order to obtain the desired nutritional balance. Finally, foods are chosen for each meal which are appropriate for that meal.
While this principle is quite simple and straightforward, creating a menu which meets these criteria and still satisfies the taste or inclination of the dieter requires long lists of foods and intricate calculation schemes which most dieters feel are so burdensome that they choose not to stick to the diet. This is because there are several unrelated characteristics of each food item which must be considered in determining how a particular food item fits into a diet, and the interaction of those characteristics makes the formulation of a menu which satisfies all of the necessary criteria a complex project. While charts and tables have been provided to assist in preparing a balanced, calorically limited, and individually pleasing menu, these aids are difficult to understand and, for many dieters, do not provide much assistance in planning meals.